3.1 Introduction

This documentation explains how to integrate your own application with the Retailys Dashboard GUI by providing your application's XML-based manifest with a dashboard:section. This dashboard:section defines how the Dashboard should dynamically build and display your UI (menu items, pages, data sources, controls etc.).

The Retailys Dashboard is a universal UI application that takes XML-based definitions of routes, canvases, controls, datasets, and related data resources. Once the Dashboard processes the dashboard:section in your manifest, it automatically:

1. Registers your Application with the GUI.

2. Builds the Menu items (called Routes).

3. Creates Canvases (pages) corresponding to each route (or sub-route).

4. Displays Controls (e.g., charts, data tables, metrics) inside those canvases.

5. Defines Datasets that your application’s controls can use.

6. Pulls actual data from your configured resources.

By simply providing a well-structured dashboard:section, you allow the Dashboard to generate your application’s interface dynamically and integrate it alongside other applications.